best cheap cigars

5 Vegas AAA

This cigar is a Cigars International Exclusive but blended and rolled by the incomparable AJ Fernandez. The AAA is made in Nicaragua at Tabacalera Fernandez and features a Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. This cigar sells for around $5 per stick any time on Cigars International but if you have the patience, can be had for just under $3 a stick on their sister site, Cigar Bid. We reviewed the Lancero here, taking a very nice 90 score. While you can’t find the lancero anymore, I find the Toro to be an excellent smoke as well.

Cuba Libre One

Cuba Libre One

Another Cigars InternationalExclusive, this one comes from Nestor Placensia and his Segovia factory in Nicaragua. An ultra-bold, mega-flavorful super-premium, this Nicaraguan’s most apparent trait is its thick, dark Habano-seed ligero wrapper – a leaf grown in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras that’s brimming with flavor and giving off an oily appearance. Below the surface is a robust blend of Cuban-seed ligero long-fillers from the Esteli and Condega paired with additional ligeros from Honduras. It has two binders: a Habano leaf from the Jalapa Valley and a flavorful Costa Rican leaf. From first light to final puff, Cuba Libre One is rich, complex, and balanced. It’s powerful but balanced, and layered with notes of coffee, earth, pepper, and cream complemented by a spicy-sweet finish. It comes in an oily and strong habano wrapper and Nicraguan binder and fillers. This cigar is in the medium-full strength category and can be had regularly at $3 a piece on Cigars International and Cigar.com, or even cheaper on Cigar Bid.

Diesel Unholy Cocktail

Diesel | Unholy Cocktail

This Cigars International Exclusive from AJ Fernandez is the favoritebudget smoke of many on the forums and gets talked about all the time. This fat torpedo is covered in a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper that is very toothy and smells fantastic. It’s strength is listed as full in the description but we put it around medium-strong overall, and it’s very smooth to smoke so don’t let it scare you away. We reviewed this cigar here and it earned a 90 (Very Good), which is a great score for a cigar that can be had for around $3.

E.P. Carrillo New Wave Stellas

E.P. Carrillo New Wave Stellas

This cigar has been out for a few years now and never fails to impress. This is a form of the “New Connecticut” cigar that we have seen in recent years that have a little more flavor and bite than the Connecticuts of yesteryear. To create New Wave, a silky-smooth Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that’s seamless in appearance was hand-selected, then carefully placed upon a vintage recipe of Cuban-seed long-fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican. Smooth and creamy nuances smack the palate from start to finish, leaving behind a toasty array of leather and sweet tobacco with each puff. The finish is long but refined, completing a savory everyday handmade from one of the industry’s premier cigar artisans. The consensus on the best of this line usually gravitates towards the smaller ring gauges which can be had regularly at under $4 a stick, and less than $3 if you are willing to bid or hunt for a sale/coupon.

Famous Nicaragua 1000 Robusto Maduro

Famous Nicaragua 1000 Robusto Maduro

Exclusive to Famous Smoke, these medium-bodied cigars handmade at an undisclosed Nicaraguan factory. Nicaraguan Selection 1000 cigars are medium-bodied premium cigars handmade at one of Nicaragua’s top factories. The cigars are blended with Nicaraguan longfiller tobaccos rolled in rich-tasting Broadleaf Maduro wrappers. The smoke is smooth, well-balanced and earthy with notes of caramel and sweet spice on the finish. If you’re a bargain hunter, order a bundle now and taste for yourself. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.They are blended with Nicaraguan longfiller tobaccos rolled in Broadleaf Maduro wrappers. The normal everyday price on these is $1.35 and sometimes go on sale. We did a blind review of these recently here and it scored a 90, making this a no-brainer. The only problem is that they are often out of stock and hard to find.

Flor De Oliva Maduro

Flor De Oliva Maduro

This is the value line from the well know Oliva Cigars. The Flo De Olivas are a handmade longfiller with a maduro wrapper. Flor de Oliva cigars are value-priced beauties from Gilberto Oliva and family, crafted from Dominican and Nicaraguan long-leaf tobaccos and a robust and satisfying Sumatra wrapper. After aging, the end result is a flavorful, creamy smoke – rich and creamy without the bite. Flor de Oliva hails from the generations old Oliva tobacco farms in Nicaragua and is manufactured exclusively from their premier tobacco. This mild-medium bodied puro with a deep, complex flavor sports a rich Maduro wrapper and presents a superb value to any educated smoker. They come in bundles of 20, and ring up at just under $2 a stick. Unlike a lot of budget bundles, these actually have a nice band so you don’t feel cheap giving them to your friends.

Gran Habano Vintage 2002

Gran Habano Vintage 2002

If you are a cigar smoker and a bargain hunter, you have probably tried this cigar. These are a variation of the highly rated Gran Habano #5 Corojo blend. They come in bundles of 20 at a price tag of $50 regularly, putting it at $2.50 a stick and even cheaper on sale or through bidding. This is the Gran Habano Corojo #5 blend composed of full-bodied, Habano-seed long-fillers from Nicaragua and Dominican but it boasts a juicy Nicaraguan-grown Corojo wrapper leaf cultivated back in 2002, one which has enjoyed an extended cedar-nap for the past 8 years. The outcome is virtuous: a deep series of rich, creamy flavors smacking of coffee, nuts, and earth tamed by the smooth, Cuban-esque qualities of a well-aged Corojo leaf. The Gran HabanoVintage 2002 cigar remains medium to full-bodied but maintains a wonderful balance and long, elegant finish.We rated the Churchill version of this cigar here, and while it didn’t rate poorly, it seems the robusto is the better choice.

Illusione *R* Rothchildes

Illusione | *R* Rothchildes

If you can find them, these are one of the best deals in the cigar world currently. This is a stand-alone project from Dion Giolitto meant to be an affordable short smoke without sacrificing any quality, and that’s exactly what we have here. One of the latest released from Dion Giolotto’s Illusione brand, the “r” Rothschild is a 4 1/2 x 50 sized Petit Robusto / Rothschild. The blend features all Nicaraguan Aganorsa leaf filler and binder and is encased in a Mexican San Andreas wrapper. The cigar has a rustic look, with the wrapper cocoa brown with a mottled marblized look to it. For a cigar under $5, it is extremely complex and offers a wide variety of flavor. Initially spice and a unique floral note, giving way to sweetness and a rich earthy flavor that only Aganorsa leaf can provide. Very satisfying and in the medium body strength range, the new Illusione r Rothschild is hard to beat for the price. We reviewed this stick here and it came in at a solid 90 (Very Good) rating, and at under $4 a piece, these are a steal.

Jesus Fuego Origin Original

Jesus Fuego Origin Original

This cheroot vitola is an offshoot of the Origin line, and sold at almost half the price. It’s not pretty to look at, and they don’t have bands, but man they are tasty, especially for $2. We reviewed the Sangre de Toroversion here, and the Gran Reserva Originals here.

Nica Libre

Nica Libre

Another budget friendly cigar from AJ Fernandez and Cigars International. These are marketed as the poor man’s Padron, and while I wouldn’t compare them directly to a Padron, they do offer some of the same flavors at a fraction of the price. Hand-crafted in Nicaragua, Nica Libre is a veritable candy bar. This blend showcases an aged combination of Nicaraguan long-fillers secured within a Habano binder, inside dark and oily, positively resplendent San Andres maduro wrapper. A classic maduro experience: rich, hearty, and silky smooth. Deep notes of coffee and earth smack the palate in balanced fashion, leaving behind a bold, somewhat peppery aftertaste that lingers long on the palate. A hint of dark chocolate is present during the slow burn, completing an eventful and enjoyable medium-bodied cigar. These are readily available at under $3 per stick, and even under $2 if you are patient and snag them on sale or in a bid.

Oba Oba Maduro (by Perdomo)

Oba Oba Maduro

The Oba Oba is a Best Cigar Prices exclsuve project that they created with Nick Perdomo. It’s a mixed filler stick comprised of tobacco from various regions in Nicaragua meant to be an affordable cigar for everybody. A customer favorite and top-seller since their introduction in 2002, Oba Oba is easily one of the best bundled stogies there is. Our value-priced Nicaraguan puros are loaded with savory flavor and feature a consistent, even burn and draw thanks to their precise Cuban-Sandwich-style construction. Offered in either creamy Connecticut or chocolaty maduro wrapper shades, the unbeatable value of Oba Oba is only available here, at BCP.It is available (when in stock) in most major vitolas and all come in at under $2 per stick.

Padron Londres Maduro

Padron | Londres Maduro

This is another well-known bargain in the cigar world. This is the bottom of the line that Padron offers, hence its price, but it’s still apadron. They aren’t exactly pretty to look at, and you can tell that they are made by some of the less experienced rollers, but the quality of the tobacco is still there and makes for a very tasty smoke. Padron cigars are Nicaraguan puros, as all of the leaves utilized to create the cigar are cultivated from the fertile soils of Esteli, Nicaragua. This mesmerizing mixture of hearty tobaccos produces a rich, robust smoke and offers a complex array of flavor capped off with a sweet finish. The blend is available in two equally impressiv​e varieties : natural and maduro. Best of all, each size is reasonably priced. When all the cards are put on the table, Padron cigars are hard to top, period.  We have review each the maduro and the natural versions here and here. Both came in at the “Good” level, but failed to break 90, which is to be expected form a bargain smoke. These can be had at under $4 per stick.

Pinar Del Rio Oscuro and Sungrown

Pinar Del Rio Oscuro and Sungrown

Why these are so cheap, I have no idea. They taste and smoke like a $10 cigar, but you can get them by the box or bundle for a very reasonable price. The Habano Sun Grown utilizes an oily, reddish-brown Habano Sun Grown wrapper from the Dominican Republic. Within, a rich Criollo ’98 binder from the Dominican and a bold blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers. The result is a full-bodied smoke that’s complex, refined, and layered with rich notes of earth, spices, cedar, coffee, and a hint of pepper on the finish.  Pinar Del RioOscuro employs a thick, dark Brazilian Oscuro wrapper overtop a rich blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers to create a medium-bodied profile that’s loaded with flavor. Notes of coffee, cocoa, pepper, and a naturally sweet finish meld perfectly to create a smoke that’s complex, smooth, and balanced. At face value these are about $5 a piece, but when they go on sale, grab them. I’ve picked up boxes for myself at around $2 per stick at Cigar Bid.

Romeo y Julieta (Cuba) Mille Fleures

Romeo y Julieta (Cuba) Mille Fleures

“There’s a budget Cuban you say?” Indeed! There isn’t much talk about this cigar, but when it is talked about, it’s always positive. The shocking part of this is the price. Depending on your vendor and currency conversion, these can be had between $3-$4.

Sancho Panza Double Maduro La Mancha

Sancho Panza Double Maduro La Mancha

This cigar is a staple in many a humidor. The price is right and they are very tasty with loads of chocolate and coffee flavors. Smokers who want a full-bodied smoke at an affordable price will embrace these remarkably rich-tasting, box-pressed cigars. Extra-dark Connecticut broadleaf wrappers hand-selected for their rich, oily quality, are aged four years before rolling, while the Connecticut shade binder is cured to a maduro color, also aged four years, for a richer, sweeter, and smoother smoke. All of the vitolas are pretty affordable, but most people gravitate towards the La Mancha because of the price per stick and the smaller ring gauge. You can find these anywhere at $2.50 per stick.

Tony Alvarez Habano

Tony Alvarez Habano

This may be the best kept secret in the budget cigar universe. A Cuban Crafters exclusive, made by Tony Alvarez in Esteli Nicaragua, these are handmade longfiller and should really be sold at 3x their price. They only come in bandless bundles, but if taste and construction are what you care about, not flashy bands and boxes, this is the cigar for you. If these ever catch on, expect the price to go way up. Smaller sizes start at $1.50 a stick, and sometimes go on sale even cheaper. We reviewed ithere, getting an 89 (Good).

Tips and Tricks: Best Budget Cigars